]]>The Top 10 Marijuana Victories in 2014tag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2014:/theblog//3.63485282014-12-19T08:40:41-05:002015-02-18T05:59:01-05:00Rob Kampiahttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/rob-kampia/
As usual, this top 10 list is limited to policy progress relating to marijuana in the United States. That is, the list excludes non-psychoactive hemp, breakthrough research, celebrity endorsements, and the like.

1. LEGALIZATION IN OREGON: On November 4, an impressive 55 percent of Oregon voters passed a ballot initiative to legalize marijuana for adults 21 and older, similar to the initiatives that passed two years ago in Colorado and Washington.

2. LEGALIZATION IN ALASKA: Also on November 4, 53 percent of Alaska voters passed a similar legalization initiative. As a result, Alaska and Oregon became the third and fourth states to end marijuana prohibition.

3. TWIN REFORMS IN MARYLAND: In April, Gov. Martin O'Malley (D) signed a bill legalizing medical marijuana in Maryland; at the same time, he signed a bill decriminalizing marijuana possession in the state. This was the first time that any governor signed two substantial marijuana policy reform bills at the same time.

4. TWIN REFORMS IN THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA: In March, the local D.C. government enacted a law decriminalizing marijuana possession in our nation's capital. Then, on November 4, 70 percent of D.C. voters passed a ballot initiative to remove all penalties for personal possession and home cultivation of marijuana. (It remains to be seen whether a recent act of Congress will block the voter initiative from taking effect.)

5. CONGRESS REINS IN THE DEA: This month, Congress and President Obama enacted a massive spending bill for FY 2015 that, in part, prevents the U.S. Justice Department -- which includes the Drug Enforcement Administration -- from spending money to interfere with state-level medical marijuana laws. (This will expire on September 30 but could be renewed annually each fall.)

6. MEDICAL MARIJUANA IN MINNESOTA: After nine years of lobbying by advocates and patients in St. Paul, the Minnesota Legislature enacted a law in May to allow certain patients to use marijuana in a non-smokable form.

7. MEDICAL MARIJUANA IN NEW YORK STATE: After 12 years of lobbying by advocates and patients in Albany, the New York Legislature enacted a law in July that's similar to the Minnesota law.

8. MEDICAL MARIJUANA LOSS IN FLORIDA: On November 4, 58 percent of Florida voters voted in favor of a medical marijuana initiative. Because all Florida initiatives require 60 percent of the vote to pass, the medical marijuana initiative failed. But the close vote during a hostile midterm election means Florida voters will very likely pass a similar initiative during the presidential election in November 2016.

9. 25 LOCAL INITIATIVES IN FOUR STATES: On November 4, voters in 23 local jurisdictions passed marijuana-related initiatives, joining two more that had passed local initiatives in August. In South Portland, Maine, voters legalized marijuana possession. In the two biggest counties in New Mexico and eight cities in Michigan, voters decriminalized marijuana possession. And in 14 state legislative districts in Massachusetts, voters instructed their state legislators to support legislation to legalize marijuana.

10. MARIJUANA ON TRIBAL LANDS: This month, the U.S. Justice Department issued a memo stating it would not interfere with the cultivation and sale of marijuana on tribal lands, even in states where such activity is prohibited.

As you can see, this was a huge year for the movement to end marijuana prohibition in the U.S.

I predict 2015 will also be a big year, with state legislatures like Delaware, Illinois, New Hampshire, and Rhode Island passing various reform measures. And 2016 will be the best year ever, with five or more states (including California) legalizing marijuana at the ballot box on Election Day.]]>What's Next for Marijuana Legalization?tag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2014:/theblog//3.62649342014-12-08T09:25:14-05:002015-02-07T05:59:01-05:00Rob Kampiahttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/rob-kampia/
It generally falls into four buckets:

1. Legalizing Marijuana for Adults in 11 More States and D.C.

Measures to regulate marijuana like alcohol have now passed in Alaska, Colorado, Oregon, and Washington. All four states did so via the ballot initiative process.

The state that will most likely be next to legalize is Rhode Island, which would be the first to do so via state legislature. Also this spring, the District of Columbia is expected to enact a similar law through its city council.

There's also a real opportunity to legalize marijuana through five more state legislatures between now and 2017 -- Delaware, Hawaii, Maryland, New Hampshire, and Vermont. There will also be serious legislative activity in other states, such as New York, but it is less clear when such legislation will pass.

In November 2016, at least five states are expected to vote on similar ballot initiatives -- Arizona, California, Maine, Massachusetts, and Nevada -- and one could potentially appear on the ballot in Missouri.

By the end of 2017, marijuana could be legalized in 15 states and D.C., which would comprise 26% of the nation's population.

2. Legalizing Medical Marijuana in Two or Three More States

Medical marijuana is legal in 23 states and D.C. The next two states that are most likely to follow suit are Florida and Pennsylvania -- the former via a ballot initiative in November 2016 and the latter via the state legislature.

Regarding Florida, approximately 58% of the electorate voted for medical marijuana on November 4, but because Florida requires initiatives to obtain 60% of the vote to pass, the initiative failed. If the same initiative is placed before the voters in November 2016, the initiative is likely to pass, because the electorate during presidential elections is typically larger, younger, and more independent.

Medical marijuana initiatives could also appear on ballots in Arkansas and Ohio, and there's a real chance that Michigan could improve its existing medical marijuana law by allowing the licensing of dispensaries.

3. Decriminalizing Marijuana Possession in Five More States

There are serious efforts to decriminalize marijuana possession through five state legislatures in 2015 and 2016 -- Delaware, Hawaii, Illinois, New Hampshire, and Texas.

While the definition of "decriminalization" varies from state to state, the idea is to remove the threat of arrest and jail, instead treating marijuana possession like a speeding violation.

4. Continue Making Progress in Congress

This year saw the first real breakthrough in Congress, with the passage of an amendment on the House floor to prohibit the U.S. Justice Department (which includes the Drug Enforcement Administration) from spending taxpayer money to interfere with state-level medical marijuana laws.

This amendment, which was sponsored by Congressmen Dana Rohrabacher (R-CA) and Sam Farr (D-CA), passed the Republican-controlled chamber by a 219-189 vote. Whether this amendment is included in the omnibus spending bill for fiscal year 2015, it's almost a certainty that the House will vote on the amendment again in the spring or summer of 2015 (for fiscal year 2016).

Also in the House, there's growing momentum for various marijuana-related bills, including bills to (1) give states the right to enact their own marijuana policies without federal interference, (2) allow Veterans Affairs doctors to recommend medical marijuana to their patients, and (3) prohibit the federal government from seizing your property unless you've actually been convicted of a crime.

Also, both chambers will be considering whether to allow marijuana legalization to take root on the local level in D.C., because Congress has ultimate jurisdiction over the nation's capital.

According to the latest national poll on the issue, which Gallup conducted in October, 51% of American adults support making the "use" of marijuana legal. And then there's the question of who the next president will be, with Sen. Rand Paul being the best choice, but with the possibility that people like Hillary Clinton could also be good about not interfering with state-level marijuana laws.

So things are in flux right now, but marijuana policies are obviously trending in the right direction.]]>The Top 10 Marijuana Developments in 2013tag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2014:/theblog//3.45508852014-01-08T15:45:14-05:002014-03-10T05:59:02-04:00Rob Kampiahttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/rob-kampia/
This means it excludes foreign developments, such as Uruguay becoming the first nation to legalize marijuana. It also omits scientific developments, which I prefer to leave to other experts.

1. Public Opinion Polling: Public support for making marijuana legal reached a record high in 2013. A Pew Research Center poll released in April showed 52 percent support, and a Gallup poll in October showed 58 percent support. I believe the Pew poll is likely more accurate -- last year's Gallup poll found 48 percent support, and it's difficult to boost national support by 10 percent in just one year -- but it's now safe to say most Americans are fed up with marijuana prohibition.

2. Legalization in Colorado: Amazingly, the regulatory work carried out by the governor's marijuana task force, the state legislature, the Colorado Department of Revenue and many city governments went according to plan. In addition, 65 percent of Colorado voters passed a tax measure in November that was essentially the second part of the legalization initiative adopted in 2012. As a result, retail establishments are now legally selling marijuana to adults 21 and older, making world history.

3. Legalization in Washington State: While the voter-approved initiative in Washington isn't as good as the one in Colorado -- and the regulations and taxes appear to be a bit more burdensome -- the process worked. This spring or summer, Washington will become the second state in which retail establishments begin selling marijuana to adults.

4. Medical Marijuana in Illinois: After 10 years of lobbying in Springfield, the Illinois government legalized medical marijuana in August, making it the 20th state to do so. As a result, approximately 22 grow facilities and 60 retail establishments will crop up by the end of this year.

5. Medical Marijuana in New Hampshire: After eight years of lobbying in Concord, the New Hampshire government legalized medical marijuana in July, making it the 19th state to do so. Approximately four dispensaries are expected to pop up by early next year.

6. Decriminalization in Vermont: With the leadership and signature of Gov. Peter Shumlin (D), the Vermont government decriminalized marijuana possession in June. As a result, people 21 and older are now being cited with a ticket and a fine, rather than being arrested and jailed.

7. U.S. Justice Department's memo: In August, the U.S. Department of Justice issued its third marijuana-related memo since President Obama took office in January 2009. This time, it stated that the DOJ would not interfere with state-level marijuana laws, such as those passed in Colorado and Washington. Significantly, the memo stated that it wouldn't be a problem if the marijuana businesses were large and making profits, which was a significant departure from the memos that the DOJ issued in 2009 and 2011.

8. Congressional legislation: In April, Congressman Dana Rohrabacher (R-CA) introduced a bill to allow states to determine their own marijuana policies without federal interference. This bill, which had been introduced by former Congressman Barney Frank (D-MA) during the 2011-2012 Congress, has already attracted 20 cosponsors, including 5 Republicans. This is the ideal bill that Congress needs to pass.

9. Medical Marijuana Dispensaries in DC, Nevada and Oregon: In July, the first medical marijuana dispensary opened its doors in the District of Columbia -- a full 15 years after D.C. voters passed the original medical marijuana initiative in 1998. Also, the Nevada and Oregon governments passed similar dispensary laws, so we can expect to see retail medical marijuana sales in both states by mid-2014.

10. Four local ballot initiatives: In November, 67 percent of voters in Portland, Maine approved a ballot initiative legalizing marijuana possession on the local level. This is how the movement in Colorado started -- 53.5 percent of Denver voters passed a similar local ballot measure in 2005. Maine is on track to replicate that success and legalize marijuana via a statewide ballot initiative in November 2016. In addition, voters in three Michigan cities -- Lansing, Jackson and Ferndale -- approved similar local initiatives.

If you're wondering what 2014 will bring, I'm predicting that Rhode Island, Alaska and Oregon will become the third, fourth and fifth states to legalize marijuana. The months for this will be June, August and November, respectively. As always, the likelihood of such victories is dependent on fundraising, which we cannot control.]]>Three Myths About the Marijuana Lobbytag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2013:/theblog//3.42974752013-11-18T17:53:03-05:002014-01-23T18:58:21-05:00Rob Kampiahttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/rob-kampia/has reached 58 percent nationwide, according to the prestigious Gallup organization, opponents of marijuana legalization are now trotting out arguments that were only used in impolite company years ago.

Let's review the arguments of prohibitionists who are squirming right now, because they'll soon be out of jobs. (I'll also soon be out of a job, but I've been working toward this goal for 20 years. On the other hand, some law enforcement officials, drug-treatment professionals, and anti-marijuana advocates actually want to keep their jobs forever.)

Myth #1: Drug cartels support legalization efforts.

As the leader of the largest marijuana-legalization organization in the world, I can attest that my organization doesn't receive money from cartels in Colombia, Mexico, or elsewhere. In my two decades of working on this issue, I have never seen or heard of any organization gaining their support.

I'm willing to testify under oath on this question. Are prohibitionists such as Carla Lowe -- seen here claiming marijuana legalization is "driven by multi-big billions of dollars from the drug cartels" -- willing to testify under oath on the same question? I doubt it, because it's easier to throw barbs than to speak the truth.

In any case, it wouldn't actually make sense for drug cartels to fund legalization in the United States, because legalization would undercut their profits. (For example, did Al Capone fund efforts to legalize alcohol in the U.S. in the 1920s?)

The simple fact is that marijuana legalization in the U.S. would seriously detract from the profits of drug cartels inside and outside the U.S.

Myth #2: The marijuana industry will market to minors.

Prohibitionists within government and the private sector have built their careers saying that legalizing marijuana would increase teen access to marijuana. Putting it another way, prohibitionists have sacrificed nonviolent adults on the altar of ostensibly protecting children.

Setting aside the question of whether marijuana legalization would actually increase teen access to marijuana -- it would not, according to the latest research -- could it really be true that the emerging marijuana industry would actually want to market marijuana to teens?

The answer is no. While there might be a few marijuana opportunists out there -- just as there are in any industry -- anyone who wants to make real money selling marijuana to adults would need to create a firewall between adults and minors, in the same way that liquor stores don't want to risk their liquor licenses by selling alcohol to minors.

There's one small marijuana company in Seattle that has been claiming to be "Big Marijuana" as a way of drawing investor attention to that company, but it hasn't worked, which I'm happy to report.

When we think about what "Big Marijuana" would look like, it would probably include lots of advertising and lots of profits.

In regard to advertising restrictions, we already know some obvious things, including that flyers cannot be placed under the windshield wipers of cars in high school parking lots and other shenanigans that any reasonable adult would oppose. In other words, we all agree with some advertising restrictions. In fact, it was members of the medical marijuana business community in Colorado who spearheaded a push for a ban on certain types of outdoor advertising.

In regard to profits, it's okay if marijuana businesses make profits, just as it's okay for bars, restaurants, and other alcohol businesses to make profits.

The accusation of "Big Tobacco" is just the new way of scaring mainstream voters who are actually okay with marijuana stores here and there.

It's important for all of us to keep our eye on the prize by agreeing that marijuana should be legal for people 21 and older; we'll put cartels and gangs out of business, and we'll have reasonable restrictions on advertising.

None of this is new. Anyone who believes that alcohol should be legal should also agree that marijuana should be legal.

This is simple for most of us to understand. The only people who are trying to confuse it are those who are making profits from marijuana prohibition -- international drug cartels and, unfortunately, so-called anti-drug nonprofit organizations in the U.S.

Shame on them.]]>Most Americans Now Live in States That Have Rejected Marijuana Prohibitiontag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2013:/theblog//3.37501232013-08-14T08:21:31-04:002013-10-14T05:12:01-04:00Rob Kampiahttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/rob-kampia/ signed a bill legalizing medical marijuana in the nation's fifth-largest state.

With medical marijuana officially on the books in Illinois -- as well as in New Hampshire, where a similar bill was signed into law on July 23 -- a majority of Americans now live in states that have rejected the federal government's policy of absolute marijuana prohibition.

Specifically, 20 states and D.C. have legalized medical marijuana, 17 states have decriminalized marijuana possession, and two states have legalized marijuana possession for adults. Of course, there is some overlap between these three categories. But -- even taking into account all of the overlaps -- 53 percent of Americans now live in states that refuse to accept the federal government's position that (1) marijuana has no medical value whatsoever, and (2) all marijuana users should face arrest and jail time.

Currently, 37 percent of Americans reside in states that allow people with serious illnesses to use medical marijuana if their doctors recommend such use. This 37 percent figure will likely climb to at least 45 percent by 2017, as momentum is quickly building for medical marijuana legislation in New York and Minnesota.

Thanks to the voters of Colorado and Washington -- who approved a pair of ballot initiatives in November 2012 to regulate marijuana like alcohol -- nearly 4 percent of the U.S. population now lives in states where adults can possess up to an ounce of marijuana legally. Alaska is also on track to pass a ballot initiative similar to the Colorado law. The Alaska vote will take place in August 2014.

After that, as many as 12 more states could make marijuana legal for adults between November 2014 and the summer of 2017. Seven of them -- Arizona, California, Maine, Massachusetts, Montana, Nevada, and Oregon -- will likely do so by way of ballot measures in November 2016. (Activists in a few of these states have announced initiative plans for November 2014, but none of these initiatives have qualified for the November 2014 ballot.) In the other five states that could end marijuana prohibition by 2017 ¬-- Hawaii, Maryland, New Hampshire, Rhode Island, and Vermont -- change will need to occur via their legislatures.

Once all 15 of these states bow out of marijuana prohibition, more than one in four Americans -- including 30 U.S. senators and 142 U.S. House members -- will live in states where marijuana is legal for adults and treated similarly to alcohol. And given the rapid rate at which public support is growing nationwide, it doesn't take a mathematician to recognize that marijuana prohibition is on its way out.]]>The IRS Is Also Abusing 'Marijuana'tag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2013:/theblog//3.33337152013-05-28T08:59:42-04:002013-07-28T05:12:01-04:00Rob Kampiahttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/rob-kampia/targeted organizations it perceived to be critical of the government.

I wasn't shocked in the least.

Long before the IRS began singling out groups with the words "tea party" or "patriot" in their names, "marijuana" was a political buzzword that elicited special attention from the IRS. Specifically, nonprofit organizations that contest the federal government's anti-marijuana policies and propaganda are the organizations that appear to experience more scrutiny than most.

The Marijuana Policy Project (MPP), of which I am executive director, presents a perfect example. In 2000 and again in 2006, MPP was subjected to grueling audits, despite no evidence of faulty accounting or violations of the IRS' rules governing nonprofits.

The first stemmed from a letter sent to the IRS in 1998 by U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), who has spent a good part of her career advocating for the criminalization of marijuana users, including me.

Her reason for questioning MPP's tax-exempt status? She received a letter from a single constituent who wrote this to her: "The idea that a bunch of pot purveyors can raise money like this on a tax exempt basis is offensive."

And with that, an organization that had recently survived a rigorous IRS application process -- and that had only about $150,000 in revenues during the year in question -- was forced to bear the brunt of a federal audit. On the bright side, the IRS' determination that MPP was in compliance with the federal tax code and accounting procedures allowed us to use that information in a compelling fundraising appeal to existing and potential MPP donors.

It is hard to imagine that Sen. Feinstein would ask the IRS to investigate an abortion rights group or another one of her favorite nonprofit organizations based on a letter from just one of her 38,000,000 constituents. And if she did, would the agency's overloaded and understaffed Exempt Organizations Division invest its limited resources on a full audit based on a single meritless constituent complaint? If the agency really is that responsive to a letter from one individual, it begs the question of whether a letter-writing campaign asking for an audit of the Heritage Foundation and other prohibitionist organizations might be in order.

There were more than 1,709,000 tax-exempt organizations on file with the IRS in 2005, according to The Hauser Center for Nonprofit Organizations at Harvard University. Of those, the IRS reportedly examined 2,764 tax returns. Imagine my surprise in 2006 when I learned that MPP would be audited for a second time. This time, the organization was singled out for no reason whatsoever; there wasn't even a grumpy letter from a California resident (or U.S. senator).

So, once again, my team had to devote significant resources to an audit, which included an IRS agent camping out in our office for days. And, once again, MPP received a clean bill of health.

This kind of experience has not been limited to MPP, and it has not been limited to audits. For example, late U.S. Rep. Gerald Solomon (R-NY) sought the revocation of the Cato Institute's tax-exempt status in the mid-1990s, simply because it sponsored discussions about the option of ending marijuana prohibition. Some marijuana policy reform organizations even encounter the IRS' anti-marijuana attitude before becoming tax-exempt.

Colorado-based Safer Alternative For Enjoyable Recreation (SAFER), which works exclusively to educate the public about the relative safety of marijuana compared to alcohol, spent the better part of a year fighting for tax-exempt status. The process came to a head when the organization received a letter from the IRS accusing SAFER of organizing "festivals and protests that are not always peaceful" and asking it to explain how its activities do not violate the law. The IRS attached dozens of printouts of online news stories in which commenters talked about using marijuana, along with webpages regarding marijuana-themed festivals and events, none of which were organized by SAFER and all of which were peaceful.

It is hard to imagine an organization formed to defend marijuana prohibition ever facing such excessive scrutiny from the federal government.

Whether the subject is taxes, guns, abortion, or marijuana, when it comes to legitimate public policy discussions, the federal government should never attempt to suppress any organization's voice. This does not just apply to the executive branch, but also the legislative branch -- both Democrats and Republicans.

The public and the media are right to be infuriated by the IRS' overtly political -- and probably illegal -- targeting of certain conservative groups. This outrage should extend to the harassment of organizations that support marijuana policy reform. After all, marijuana legalization is more popular than the federal government, the president, and both major political parties.]]>Marijuana Movement Following the Steps of the Gay Rights Movementtag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2013:/theblog//3.31858692013-04-30T13:28:11-04:002013-06-30T05:12:01-04:00Rob Kampiahttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/rob-kampia/many in the mainstreammedia.

Both movements were plagued for decades by a lack of public approval. In 1996, just 26 percent of Americans supported the rights of gay and lesbian couples to marry, according to an annual survey conducted by the Pew Research Center. Support for making marijuana legal was not far behind at 25 percent.

Both movements have benefited from their natural constituencies "coming out of the closet." Leaders within the gay rights movement have encouraged members of the LGBT community to speak openly about their sexuality, particularly with their families and friends. Many marijuana consumers openly discuss their marijuana use, and organizations such as mine are now making a concerted effort to inspire people to "come out" as supporters of reform.

Both movements have recently seen significant spikes in public opinion polling. The Pew survey conducted in March found that support for marriage equality is now at 58 percent nationally. One conducted in April showed support for making marijuana legal has grown to 52 percent nationally.

And both movements have recently made significant progress via a state-by-state approach. In November, Maine, Maryland, and Washington became the first states to legalize same-sex marriage at the ballot box, bringing the total number of states in which it is legal to nine plus Washington, D.C. (Rhode Island will soon make it 10). Also in November, voters in Colorado and Washington approved ballot measures making them the first two states to make marijuana legal for adults and begin regulating it like alcohol. Medical marijuana is also legal in 18 states plus Washington, D.C. (A couple morestates appear to be on the verge of adopting medical marijuana laws.)

The marijuana policy reform movement is now preparing to take another page out of the gay rights playbook. Specifically, my organization has established two political roundtables to fuel the coffers of supportive politicians, just as donors within the gay rights movement have been doing in recent years. For example, they donated $1,000,000 to four Republicans in the New York State Senate after they helped pass legislation to legalize gay marriage in June 2011, and it was reported last week that a group of Republican donors have formed a political action committee to begin supporting pro-gay marriage candidates and lobbying efforts around the country.

The marijuana donor roundtables are not quite as muscular, but they are off to a great start. So far, 15 donors have each committed to donating $10,000 annually to carefully chosen candidates and/or the Marijuana Policy Project Political Action Committee, and there are an additional 50 donors who are each projected to donate $1,000 annually.

In this first year of the project, our community plans to donate a total of $200,000 to the likes of Gov. Pete Shumlin (D-VT), who has been a champion of marijuana policy reform; state legislators in Rhode Island who have co-sponsored or demonstrated support for legislation similar to the new Colorado law that regulates marijuana like alcohol; and supportive legislative and gubernatorial candidates in Maryland (to be determined). It will also provide backing to some congressional candidates who are supporting the bill proposed by Rep. Dana Rohrabacher (R-CA) to respect state marijuana laws and/or the bill proposed by Rep. Jared Polis (D-CO) to regulate marijuana like alcohol at the federal level.

Of course we will also continue to move the ball down the field by passing ballot initiatives that are similar to those adopted in Colorado and Washington. The next ballot initiative to pass will be in Alaska in August 2014, and two years after that we hope to see similar victories in Arizona, California, Maine, Massachusetts, Montana, Nevada, and Oregon. These initiative activities, however, will not necessitate playing the "inside game" with elected officials. After all, we did not need to build a team of political power players in Colorado in order to pass the initiative to regulate marijuana like alcohol with 55 percent of the vote on November 6.

But to pass a Colorado-style law through a state legislature, we will need a robust coalition of supportive state legislators -- and a reasonable governor -- in order to win. This is what we intend to build in Maryland, Rhode Island, and potentially two or three other states by 2017.

The marijuana policy reform movement has never donated real money to candidates in a systematic effort to change federal law and laws in the 50 states. We are starting today, and by 2017, we are confident we will see the results.]]>Ending Marijuana Prohibition in 2013tag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2013:/theblog//3.25348692013-01-29T19:01:20-05:002013-03-31T05:12:01-04:00Rob Kampiahttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/rob-kampia/
Here is what I think we can reasonably accomplish by the end of 2013:

1. Decriminalize Marijuana in Vermont: Gov. Pete Shumlin (D), a strong supporter of decriminalizing marijuana, partially campaigned on the issue and easily won re-election on November 6 with 58% of the vote. The Vermont Llegislature is poised to pass the bill he wants, so this legislation could become law by this summer.

2. Legalize Medical Marijuana in New Hampshire: Incoming Gov. Maggie Hassan (D) is a strong supporter of medical marijuana, so we expect her to sign a medical marijuana bill similar to those vetoed by former Gov. John Lynch (D) in 2009 and 2012.
3. Build Support for Legalization in the Rhode Island Legislature: We successfully legalized medical marijuana and decriminalized marijuana possession in Rhode Island in 2009 and 2012, respectively. There is now considerable momentum to tax and regulate (T&R) marijuana like alcohol, so we need to ensure that Rhode Island's state legislature becomes the first to do so.

4. Increase Support for Legalization in California, Maine, and Oregon: There will be a sincere effort to pass T&R bills through the legislatures in these three states. Should they fall short, MPP and its allies will pursue statewide ballot initiatives in November 2016, at which time all three will be expected to pass.

5. Build Our Base of Support Online: People have said that the Internet is marijuana legalization's best friend, and this could not have been more evident than it was last year. Campaigns mobilized their supporters, organizations raised funds, and the public was able to follow the progress in real time. Prohibitionists, who have depended on the government for its largess for years, are now at a disadvantage. Private citizens simply do not want to donate to them, and most information about marijuana is now reaching the public without being run through their filter.
6. Continue the Steady Drumbeat in the Media: National and local media outlets are covering the marijuana issue more than ever before. Communicating to voters through news coverage is the most cost-efficient way to increase public support for ending marijuana prohibition, so we need to keep the issue in the spotlight.

7. Build Support for Medical Marijuana in Congress: There are already approximately 185 members of the U.S. House who want to stop the U.S. Justice Department from spending taxpayer money on raiding medical marijuana businesses in the 18 states (and DC) where medical marijuana is legal. We want to reach 218 votes on this amendment, thereby ensuring the amendment's transfer to the U.S. Senate for an up-or-down vote.

8. Build Support for Ending Marijuana Prohibition in Congress: Last year, the first-ever bill to end the federal government's prohibition of marijuana attracted 21 sponsors. Our goal is to expand the number of sponsors to more than two-dozen during the 2013-2014 election season.

Looking outside our borders, we're also seeing progress in Colombia, Uruguay, and Chile, which have all been steadily moving away from marijuana prohibition. Although this is good news, most members of the U.S. Congress do not care much about what South American countries think on marijuana policy, so we should temper the wonderful developments south of the U.S. border with limited expectations of what will happen in our nation's capital.

Ultimately, the U.S. is the primary exporter of prohibition around the world. If we can solve the problem here, the rest of the world will have far more freedom to conduct their own experiments with regulating marijuana.]]>Top 10 Marijuana Victories of 2012tag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2013:/theblog//3.24035362013-01-03T13:40:02-05:002013-03-05T05:12:01-05:00Rob Kampiahttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/rob-kampia/previous annual lists, it includes neither important scientific developments nor important international developments. Rather, this list focuses on the biggest marijuana-related policy accomplishments in the U.S. in the last year.

1. LEGALIZATION IN COLORADO: On November 6, 55 percent of Colorado voters legalized marijuana. MPP led the campaign, which resulted in the state adopting the best marijuana law in the world. Adults can now possess up to one ounce of marijuana and grow up to six plants without government licensing; and, around this time next year, the state government will start issuing licenses to marijuana businesses.

2. LEGALIZATION IN WASHINGTON: Also on November 6, 56 percent of Washington voters legalized marijuana. This law is similar to the Colorado law, except that home cultivation will not be permitted in Washington.

3. DECRIMINALIZATION IN RHODE ISLAND: On June 13, Gov. Lincoln Chafee (I) signed MPP's decriminalization bill into law. On April 1 of this year, adults who are apprehended with up to one ounce of marijuana will receive only a $150 fine, with no arrest, jail time, or criminal record.

4. MEDICAL MARIJUANA IN CONNECTICUT: On May 31, Gov. Dan Malloy (D) signed medical marijuana legislation into law, making Connecticut the 17th medical marijuana state. The new law is similar to other state-level medical marijuana laws: People with cancer and other serious medical conditions who have the approval of their physicians can use and possess marijuana legally, and these patients will be able to purchase marijuana from dispensaries within the next year.

5. MEDICAL MARIJUANA IN MASSACHUSETTS: On November 6, 63 percent of Massachusetts voters approved a ballot initiative making it the 18th medical marijuana state. This law is similar to Connecticut's law.

6. REFORMING "THREE STRIKES" IN CALIFORNIA: Also on November 6, 69 percent of California voters passed a ballot initiative to amend the harsh "three strikes" law responsible for sending marijuana users and other nonviolent offenders to state prison for 25 years if they had two previous felony convictions.

7. LOCAL INITIATIVES IN MASSACHUSETTS, MICHIGAN, AND VERMONT: In Massachusetts, voters in six legislative districts (representing 45 towns) passed nonbinding ballot measures favoring federal or state marijuana legalization. In Michigan, voters in four of the state's biggest cities -- Detroit, Flint, Grand Rapids and Ypsilanti -- approved initiatives to stop arresting marijuana users. And in Vermont, 70 percent of Burlington voters approved a nonbinding initiative stating that marijuana should be legal.

8. KEY STATE ELECTIONS: Vermont Gov. Pete Shumlin (D), a strong advocate for marijuana policy reform, won reelection with 58 percent of the vote. In New Hampshire, Maggie Hassan (D) was elected governor, which means we will almost surely pass a law this spring to make New Hampshire the 19th medical marijuana state. Also, Democrats picked up some seats in the Illinois and New York legislatures, which will help the prospects of passing medical marijuana bills in both states.

9. PROGRESS IN CONGRESS: First, Congress waged no new wars on marijuana users, which should always be regarded as a victory. Second, the first-ever bill to end the federal prohibition of marijuana attracted 21 sponsors, which exceeded MPP's goal. Third, 163 members of the U.S. House voted to end federal raids in the states where medical marijuana is legal.

10. KEY FEDERAL ELECTIONS: MPP's political action committee helped elect four strong pro-marijuana policy reform freshmen to the U.S. House -- Jared Huffman (D-CA), Beto O'Rourke (D-TX), Mark Pocan (D-WI) and Michelle Lujan Grisham (D-NM). There was a time, only a few short years ago, when candidates in close races -- and even some safe incumbents -- refused to accept marijuana-related PAC contributions. Times have changed. (NOTE: President Obama's reelection is not listed as a victory because he has been the worst president in the history of the country on the medical marijuana issue.)

Of course, there were also some disappointments this past year, such as the retirements of Congressmen Ron Paul (R-TX) and Barney Frank (D-MA). And there were some actual losses, such as the legalization initiative in Oregon (which received nearly 47 percent of the vote) and MPP's medical marijuana initiative in Arkansas (which received 48.5 percent of the vote).

There were, however, two noteworthy indications that things will continue to go in the right direction in 2013. First, we learned that the number of marijuana arrests dropped by 11 percent in 2011. And, second, we saw multiplepolls showing that more than 50 percent of American adults now favor the legalization of marijuana.

Needless to say, we have much to look forward to this year.]]>What Are the Next States to Legalize Marijuana?tag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2012:/theblog//3.23778472012-12-31T15:30:02-05:002013-03-02T05:12:02-05:00Rob Kampiahttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/rob-kampia/
It is important to note that this pair of 55 percent victories would have been less resounding had they appeared on the ballot during a midterm election. Presidential elections traditionally attract far more voters, many of whom are younger and more supportive of T&R than older voters. And when there are more voters, there tends to be more support shown for ending marijuana prohibition.

With that in mind, here is what the Marijuana Policy Project will be pursuing from 2013 to 2016.

1. Alaska: Unfortunately, Alaska law currently only allows voter initiatives to be placed on the primary election ballot, so we will attempt to pass a T&R initiative in August 2014. Fortunately, Alaska voters have traditionally been more supportive of T&R than voters in any other state. Only 100,000 Alaskans are expected to vote in August 2014, so the universe of voters we need to persuade is quite small.

2. Rhode Island: MPP separately legalized medical marijuana and decriminalized marijuana possession in Rhode Island in 2009 and 2012, respectively. We're now lobbying the state legislature to pass a T&R bill, which could very well happen in 2014 or 2015. Regardless of which year this happens, Rhode Island will almost certainly be the first state to pass a T&R measure through the state legislature.

3. Maine: I just returned to D.C. from Maine, where I met with leading activists, political consultants, and state Rep. Diane Russell (D), who's the lead sponsor of the T&R bill in Augusta. If we fail to pass her bill during the 2013, 2014, or 2015 legislative sessions, we'll place a T&R initiative on the November 2016 ballot. As a way of demonstrating public support before 2016, we intend to pass local ballot initiatives in Portland and two or three other cities in November 2014.

4. Oregon: Oregon is similar to Maine, in that we're working with leading activists to pass a T&R bill through the state legislature during the 2013 or 2015 legislative sessions. If the measure falls short, we will place a T&R initiative on the November 2016 ballot. MPP already hired a consultant in Portland to coordinate this four-year plan.

5. California: There is already a consensus that our movement should work over the next four years toward the goal of passing a T&R initiative in California in November 2016. The ACLU is coordinating the public-education effort over the next three years, and then MPP and the Drug Policy Alliance will probably end up leading the ballot-initiative campaign.

6. Massachusetts: The voters of Massachusetts passed MPP's decriminalization initiative in November 2008 with 65 percent of the vote, and then they followed up by legalizing medical marijuana on November 6 with 63 percent of the vote. Many Massachusetts citizens and legislators assume that marijuana will eventually be legalized in Massachusetts; it's just a question of when. The answer is "November 2016."

7. Nevada: MPP failed to pass a pair of ballot initiatives in Nevada in November 2002 and November 2006 with 39 percent and 44 percent of the vote, respectively. Support nationwide has been increasing by about 1.5 percent per year, so we could probably pass a T&R initiative tomorrow if we were permitted to place it on the ballot today. Because that's not possible, we're planning to pass an initiative in November 2016.

The themes here are pretty clear.

First, the next states to end marijuana prohibition will be in New England and the West. Second, everything is trending in our direction, and most people now agree that marijuana will eventually be legalized nationwide.

Third, the biggest day in the history of the marijuana-policy-reform movement will be November 8, 2016. After that day, just 46 months from now, it will be almost inevitable that Congress will change federal law to allow states to determine their own marijuana policies without federal interference. When that happens, we win.]]>The 10 Things That Led to Legalized Marijuana in Coloradotag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2012:/theblog//3.21391632012-11-26T18:03:00-05:002013-01-26T05:12:01-05:00Rob Kampiahttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/rob-kampia/
Here is a listing of the ingredients of the recipe that led to the historic victory in Colorado on November 6.

1. Presidential Election: Given that no one had ever previously legalized marijuana in the history of the world, we assumed that the election in Colorado would be close -- win or lose. So we intentionally chose to place our initiative on the ballot during a presidential election, which always attracts a larger proportion of young voters, who are more supportive.

2. Inclusive Drafting Process: The team that drafted the initiative went out of its way to solicit feedback from key lawyers, medical-marijuana industry players, other organizational leaders, and unaffiliated activists. As a result, there was almost no infighting, which allowed us to build a strong coalition of support across the state.

3. Years of Groundwork: Officially, the Colorado campaign was two years long; unofficially, it was eight years long. In 2004, MPP's grants program helped launch two non-profit advocacy organizations in Colorado, SAFER and Sensible Colorado. The executive directors of these two organizations eventually became the co-proponents of Amendment 64. SAFER focused on educating the public about the fact that marijuana is less harmful than alcohol; it did so through citywide, marijuana-related ballot initiatives in Denver in 2005 and 2007, which each garnered support from a majority of Denver voters. In 2006, SAFER coordinated a statewide ballot initiative to legalize marijuana and generated substantial debate in Colorado (while garnering 41 percent of the vote). Meanwhile, Sensible Colorado helped expand access to medical marijuana for patients. Most significantly, in 2008, Sensible Colorado spearheaded a court challenge to expand the state's medical marijuana "caregiver" provision to allow for retail sales. All of this took planning and money.

4. Early Fundraising: The campaign cost approximately $2,300,000, more than half of which was raised prior to six months before Election Day. While we continued to receive important donations leading all the way up to November 6, the "Early Money Is Like Yeast" metaphor of EMILY's List really is true.

5. Early Ad Buys: Because we had early money, we were able to buy our October airtime at a cheaper rate than if we had been forced to write checks for the ads in October.

6. Targeted Ads: A couple years before Election Day, public opinion polling already indicated that a majority of Colorado men supported legalization. So we directed our ads mostly toward women between the ages of 30 and 60, with some additional ads that spoke to Hispanic or conservative voters.

7. Just Three Messages: There are dozens of reasons to end marijuana prohibition, but you have time to articulate only a few. The three winning messages in Colorado were (1) police should spend their time on more important things, (2) taxing marijuana would turn a money-losing prohibition into a money-generating system, and (3) veterans suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder should be able to use marijuana legally.

8. Correct Spokespeople: The three spokespersons for the campaign -- Betty Aldworth, Mason Tvert, and Brian Vicente -- stayed on message, knew the facts, and spoke from the heart. In addition, the campaign was buoyed by the likes of former Congressman Tom Tancredo (R), Tony Ryan (former Denver cop), Sean Azzariti (a Marine Corps veteran), Manuel Tarango (Spanish-language radio DJ), Susan Sarandon, and Melissa Etheridge. We didn't allow just anyone to speak at the microphone.

9. Correct Campaign Intelligentsia: The campaign's inner circle was composed of people like Rick Ridder and Celinda Lake, who have actually won difficult campaigns. And -- given that my organization passed the medical marijuana laws in Montana (2004), Michigan (2008), and Arizona (2010) -- the nuances of these campaigns carried over as institutional memory, which was embodied by MPP's Steve Fox, who effectively served as the manager of the Colorado campaign.

10. Undercutting the Opposition: A relatively respectable consulting firm ran the opposing "No on 64" campaign and were able to generate a large number of endorsements. Because we couldn't compete in the endorsement game, we undercut their endorsements by appearing at their events, in order to ensure that both sides of the story appeared in whatever media coverage the opposition was trying to generate.

This raises a related lesson from the Colorado campaign: High-profile opposition doesn't matter that much. The "No on 64" campaign ran ads featuring the current governor and a pair of former governors -- two of three of whom are Democrats -- and the opposition received so many other endorsements that you couldn't even print them all out on one sheet of paper. In the end, however, the people rejected the opinions of the supposedly powerful.

It's possible that if we had skipped one or two of the above 10 steps, Colorado voters would have still passed the initiative. But if you intentionally skip one or two steps, you should have a good reason for why you're doing so.

To that point, there are already well-meaning activists in Oregon and other states who aren't remembering the efforts of well-meaning activists in California, who ignored the lesson of step #1 above and pushed a risky initiative during a non-presidential election in 2010, which I'm sure felt good but succeeded at failing.

The California folks spent a lot of money on Prop. 19 (which my organization supported politically but not financially), and that initiative dutifully failed in 2010. This was an initiative that would have almost surely passed on November 6 of this year, except for the problem of impatience.

So let's move forward in other states, but let's do so patiently and strategically. The path is there for us to follow, and I look forward to working with activists across the country to follow that path as we dismantle marijuana prohibition state by state.]]>The Debate in Washington State Over Legalizing Marijuana Is Off-Tracktag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2012:/theblog//3.18396702012-09-04T08:27:00-04:002012-11-04T05:12:01-05:00Rob Kampiahttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/rob-kampia/
Unlike the 20 annual Hempfests that preceded this one, this year's event included a real debate, which was whether marijuana users should vote for Initiative 502 -- the marijuana-legalization initiative that will appear on the November 6 statewide ballot.

If this seems odd to you, it should. This is the first time that Washington voters will have the chance to end marijuana prohibition, and yet some marijuana users -- although thankfully a small minority -- are screaming that voters should defeat the initiative and maintain prohibition, because the initiative isn't perfect enough.

We've heard this kind of argument before in other social change movements -- gun control, gun rights, abortion expansion, abortion reduction and so forth. So the fact that it's happening in the marijuana-reform movement is not surprising.

I spent a lot of time listening to smart people on both sides of the issue tell me their views. Toward the end of the Hempfest weekend, I concluded this is really just a matter of law, rather than needing to choose between clashing personalities or gleaning the future from a crystal ball.

So here is the cold analysis of Washington's current law versus the future law in Washington if Initiative 502 were to pass by a simple majority vote on November 6 ...
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Because the goal is to keep the largest possible number of nonviolent marijuana users/growers/sellers from being arrested and dragged into the criminal justice system, my organization strongly supports the passage of Initiative 502.

And, by the way, we're joined by the Drug Policy Alliance, the American Civil Liberties Union, the NAACP, and even the National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws. And, just as importantly, the initiative was endorsed the day after the Hempfest by the Seattle Times, which is the largest newspaper in Washington state.

It's time to end the debate among anti-prohibitionists. It's now time for all of us to work very, very hard to pass the initiative on November 6, in order to keep our friends and family out of jail.

This post is part of the HuffPost Shadow Conventions 2012, a series spotlighting three issues that are not being discussed at the national GOP and Democratic conventions: The Drug War, Poverty in America, and Money in Politics.

HuffPost Live will be taking a comprehensive look at America's failed war on drugs August 28th and September 4th from 12-4 pm ET and 6-10 pm ET. Click here to check it out -- and join the conversation.]]>When a Marijuana Loss Is Actually a Victorytag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2012:/theblog//3.15099642012-05-11T13:36:14-04:002012-07-11T05:12:13-04:00Rob Kampiahttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/rob-kampia/vote of 163 to 262 (with three current vacancies and seven not voting).

Four congressmen -- Maurice Hinchey (D), Dana Rohrabacher (R), Sam Farr (D), and Tom McClintock (R) -- attempted to attach the amendment to the FY2013 spending bill for the U.S. Justice Department, which includes the DEA.

If the amendment were enacted into law, DOJ would be prevented for one year from spending any taxpayer money to raid medical marijuana patients, caregivers, or businesses in the 16 states where medical marijuana is legal. (This figure will soon increase to 17 states, when Connecticut Gov. Dan Malloy (D) signs a medical marijuana bill into law in the next few days.)

Here is why I'm excited about the congressional vote, which paves the way for a possible victory in the U.S. House in one year:

The 163 "yes" votes almost broke the previous record of 165 "yes" votes for the same amendment in 2007. But this time, the Marijuana Policy Project and allied organizations did almost no lobbying on the specific amendment (because we were given only 48 hours' notice), and there are many more Republicans in the House now than there were in 2007.

A whopping 72% of House Democrats voted for the amendment, sternly rejecting their president's terrible policy of interfering with state-level medical marijuana laws.

Fully 28 Republicans voted for the amendment, which set a new Republican record. In the previous five times that this amendment was raised on the House floor -- once each year from 2003 to 2007 -- no more than 19 Republicans voted for the amendment in any one year.

Of the 28 good Republicans, 12 are from the freshman class, which has been noted for its passion for small government. Also, Dan Burton (IN), a long-time drug warrior, voted "yes," which he had done only once before. Of course, Ron Paul (TX) voted "yes," as he always has. And, significantly, three Republicans who had been unwaveringly hostile flipped to the "yes" column -- Tom Petri (WI), Fred Upton (MI), and Don Young (AK). Let's praise these three Republicans!

The amendment would have received 183 "yes" votes if (1) 13 House members hadn't switched from "yes" to "no"; (2) four supporters, including Dennis Kucinich (OH), had been present; and (3) three supporters, including Gabby Giffords, hadn't retired early and left their seats open.

So I consider 183 "yes" votes as the baseline from which to work. But consider this: If the Democrats have a big day on November 6 and significantly increase their margin in the House -- as they did in November 2006 and again in November 2008 -- we might pick up 10 or 15 additional "yes" votes, free of charge. That would put us in the range of 195 "yes" votes.

The amendment needs only 218 votes to pass, and that's if all 435 House members actually vote.

While the health of cancer and AIDS patients shouldn't be a partisan issue, it's a matter of fact that Libertarians and Greens are almost always perfect on the issue, Democrats are pretty consistently good, and Republicans are pretty consistently bad.

While MPP is a nonpartisan organization, we can and do support candidates for public office, and we're taking a careful look at "who was naughty and who was nice" on Wednesday night.

As we all know, Obama's federal thugs have been viciously undercutting the medical marijuana laws in a few states -- most notably in California. And we also know that medical marijuana is far more popular nationwide than Obama is.

And now we know that Democrats in the U.S. House officially disagree with Obama.

Obama -- a former marijuana user himself -- is way, way, way out on a limb right now, with no benefit in sight. If he's lucky enough to get re-elected on November 6, he's going to have to clean up this medical marijuana mess that he, himself, started in the spring of 2011.

The Democrats in the U.S. House, led by Nancy Pelosi (CA), just brought this day of reckoning one step closer.]]>Top 10 Marijuana Highlights From 2011tag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2012:/theblog//3.12048122012-01-13T13:52:33-05:002012-03-14T05:12:01-04:00Rob Kampiahttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/rob-kampia/
The following list comprises the 10 most significant, positive developments relating to marijuana policy reform in the U.S. in 2011. Enjoy!

1. Congress defunds drug czar's ad campaign: In 1998, Congress and President Clinton enacted a law creating the "National Youth Anti-Drug Media Campaign," which received an average of $186 million of taxpayer money annually over its first five years. MPP lobbied Congress for the last decade to eliminate this program, which was eventually funded with "only" $35 million in 2011. Finally, on December 23, Congress and President Obama entirely eliminated funding for the ads for 2012!

2. Our ideal bill is finally introduced in Congress: On June 23, Congressmen Barney Frank (D-MA) and Ron Paul (R-TX) introduced a bill that would let states determine their own marijuana policies -- not just medical-marijuana policies -- without federal interference. MPP had lobbied Congress for five years to initiate this legislation, which MPP helped draft. As of today, 21 House members are sponsoring this legislation.

3. Public support for legalization reaches all-time high: On October 17, the Gallup organization announced that public support for "making marijuana legal" rose to 50% for the first time ever. This means that support has been rising by 1.5% annually since 1995.

4. Delaware legalizes medical marijuana: On May 13, Gov. Jack Markell (D) signed legislation making Delaware the 16th state to legalize medical marijuana. Of all the state laws that MPP has helped pass, the Delaware law was the cheapest, costing us less than $100,000 over the course of 2010 and 2011.

5. Maryland and Vermont improve their medical marijuana laws: On May 10, Gov. Martin O'Malley (D) signed a bill that improved Maryland's law, allowing people who are arrested for marijuana possession to escape conviction if they demonstrate in court that their marijuana use was medical in nature. And on June 2, Gov. Pete Shumlin (D) signed a bill that improved Vermont's existing medical-marijuana law by legalizing four dispensaries to sell marijuana to patients.

6. Maine, New Jersey, New Mexico, and D.C. implement/expand their medical marijuana laws: Abiding by a ballot initiative that 59% of Maine voters approved in November 2009, Maine's health department issued eight dispensary licenses in 2010; all but one of the dispensaries have now opened their doors. In New Jersey, Gov. Chris Christie (R) famously held a news conference on July 19, saying he didn't believe New Jersey dispensaries would be targeted under federal law; as a result, six dispensaries will open up in his state this year. In New Mexico, the number of dispensaries was increased from 17 to 25. And the D.C. government launched an application process that will result in 10 growers and five dispensaries being licensed in our nation's capital by April!

7. Arkansas and Connecticut lower penalties for marijuana possession: On June 30, Gov. Dan Malloy (D) signed legislation decriminalizing marijuana in Connecticut, making the possession of under a half-ounce punishable by a fine of $150. And in Arkansas, Gov. Mike Beebe (D) signed legislation relaxing the penalty for possessing up to four ounces of marijuana -- previously punishable by up to a year in jail and a $1,000 fine -- judges may now punish first-time offenders with a year's probation.

8. World leaders speak out: On June 2, the "Global Commission on Drug Policy" announced its support for rolling back the drug war, as a way of rejecting President Nixon's launch of the modern drug war precisely 40 years earlier. Specifically, luminaries like Kofi Annan, George Shultz, and Richard Branson endorsed the decriminalization of marijuana. Shortly afterwards, President Carter followed suit. All of this generated huge waves of positive media coverage in the U.S. and worldwide.

9. Ron Paul shakes up the political debate: Congressman Ron Paul (R-TX), running for the Republican presidential nomination, continued to be fearless while attacking the U.S. drug war. As public support for his campaign continued to rise over the course of 2011, his words became more and more amplified, making "Ron Paul" a household name and opposition to the drug war respectable in Republican circles. And now he's the number-two candidate on the Republican side -- and certainly better than President Obama!

10. Governors ask the feds to reschedule marijuana: On November 30, Governors Christine Gregoire (D-WA) and Lincoln Chafee (I-RI) formally petitioned the DEA to move marijuana from Schedule I to Schedule II, thereby declaring that marijuana has medical value. While both governors did this for political reasons -- Gregoire to posture that she's better on medical marijuana than she really is, and Chafee to avoid a legal conflict with the feds -- the fact remains that this is the most significant challenge to the federal government's classification of marijuana since Congress and President Nixon declared marijuana to have no medical value in 1970.